//------------------------------//
// Not so alone in the dark woods of Everfree 
// Story: A not so dark art. 
// by Voltsthevoltvolts 
//------------------------------//

"Skullworthy, remind me to set up a magical ward. I don't want anypony disturbing me." Dead stormed back into her house with the skull in hot pursuit. "I can't believe that! I have spent years here and a small group of ponies looking for a lost item are able to find me." The skull made a few clicking sounds then slowly nodded. "Yeah I guess but still! Anyway we need to wait for the two I sent out to come back."





"Well I can cross getting flown around in the rib cage of a skeletal dragon off my bucket list!" Twilight was trying to make light of the situation. Spike was at the point where he had stopped yelling loudly and was now a bit more relaxed. Rarity was oddly calm given the circumstances. "Well how long do you recon it will be until we touch ground?" Spike was just staring at the ground as they flew over it and Rarity was just taking long deep breaths.

The dragon made an assortment of clicking noises at the dragon, the dragon the responded by clicking back. The two skeletal creatures starting their decent. Once the two creatures were on the ground they both collapsed releasing the ponies and dragon they held captive on the ground. The bones then dug a hole using their claws and buried underground.

"Hey Rarity, Spike how are you two doing?" Twilight turned and saw Spike hugging a nearby tree and Rarity still taking long breaths. "Are you two alright?"

Rarity was the first to break the trace the two seemed to be in. "I've been flying before, but that... Was horrible! I was in its ribs! I can take being dragged underground but honestly! Its ribs!" Rarity let out a huge breath after she finished. "At least their bones were clean."

"Hey Spike how are you holding up?" Twilight looked over to Spike who was still hugging the tree he was on.

"Sweet, sweet earth. I'm glad I can't fly. That was terrifying!"

"Its not so bad Spike, you were probably just scared because it was holding you in its claw." Twilight let out a sigh. "Well we didn't get the Alicorn amulet. So will we have to try again."

"Again!?" Rarity and Spike both exclaimed with looks of shock and horror.

"Well she was summoning skeletons to fly us away. Imagine what kind of power she would have if she was wearing the Alicorn amulet!" Twilight did various gestures to show how bad it would be. "Anyway I think that we should at least try and foil whatever she is planning with the amulet."

"Alright Twilight, I will put my work on hold until we get to the bottom of this. Anyway its a relatively slow week..."

"Thank Rarity, I knew I could count on you!"

"I guess I don't have much of a choice..."

"No you don't Spike, don't worry we will be fine. We have you to look out for us!" Twilight gave Spike a large bear hug before he was able to pull himself away.





Dead Quiet's house was just that. She was relaxing with some afternoon study and preparing for the coming day. The shuffling of skeletons in the field next to the house tending to the crops was all that could be heard. Dead was in the kitchen making herself some afternoon tea. "Skullworthy would you please grab me some milk?" The dragons skull opened one of the many cupboards and pull out a pitcher of milk that was sealed at the top, the skull then levitated the milk over to Dead who relived him of it and then poured some in a large cup that was full of tea. "Thank you Skullworthy! Now I feel like some research, do you have the scroll I was reading last night?" The skull compliantly nodded and opened its mouth relieving a scroll tucked in it. "Once again, thank you Skullworthy!" Dead pulled the scroll out of the skulls mouth with her magic and began reading it.

"Skullworthy! We must attend the ritual room! I have made a BREAKTHROUGH!" The skull quickly rose from what appeared to be sleep and made several clicking noises. "No not this time, you will have to attend. I need you to attend." The skull shot a worried look at Dead. "Don't worry it won't end up like last time my good undead floating skull-friend!" The skull pulsed with energy and the house rumbled as the rooms shifted around.

The ritual room was filled with various symbols and markings. The walls were a stained dark red and a dark magenta. "Alright Skullworthy! We need the soul binding symbol and the rebinding marking setup! However we will also need to shift the lighting to a mark five and three-quarters for this to work." The skull compliantly nodded and pulsed. The markings and symbols shifted and changed until they matched the ones on a chart by the doorway." Excellent! Now Skullworthy! Please levitate in the center of the marking of rebinding!" The skull looked worried and then scared, it made a few clicking noises. "No Skullworthy, this won't turn you into Skulutron... Again." The reluctantly hovered in the center of the room. "Alright Skullworthy! Here we go!"

Dead started channeling an enormous amount of magical energy. Her horn lit up as she strained to hold the magic within her. "Urrghhhhh! Must... Hold... It... In..." She kept the spell up for a few more seconds before it dissipated into the symbol. Dead relaxed for a moment. "Alright Skullworthy! Hang in there I'm about ten percent done!" The skull remained motionless as Dead started to channel a second spell.

An hour later...

"O-O-Okay... I am... Nearly... Done... Hang in there..." Dead summoned up the last of the her spells needed and cast in on herself. "Nazz-ara Mechora." Loosely translated as 'speak again.' A final bolt of energy fired from Dead's horn and hit the floating skull that was enshrouded in a mystic aura. Dead collapsed in a huff and fell into an unconscious state. The skull that was now discharged of energy quickly made its way over to its fallen owner. "Madam! Madam... Oh a voice... New voice! Hello! Heellooo!" The skull could now speak, it was clearly male and spoke with a refined accent sounding like a noble. The skull quickly picked up Dead with a white aura and took her to her bedroom and rested her on the bed. "Please wake up soon, I don't know what the afterlife would be without you..."

Knock-knock-knock 

"Drat..."